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10 guiding principles for sustainable freight transport in Asia and the Pacific
Get PDFThe Ministerial Conference on Transport held in December 2021 encouraged implementation of the regional approach on enhancing shift towards sustainable freight transport. To support its implementation, general principles on enhancing shift towards sustainable freight transport were considered by the Committee on Transport at its seventh session held in November 2022. The Committee on Transport at its 7th meeting in November 2022 in its Decision 5 endorsed the Guiding Principles for Sustainable Freight Transport in Asia and the Pacific to further promote freight sustainability in the region.
The issue of enhancing freight sustainability is inherently challenging and therefore needs continual engagement by stakeholders. The central action in this regard would be to reinforce and implement the existing mandates on deepening freight sustainability. Therefore, considering the guidance received during various intergovernmental meetings on the matter, the lessons learned and the issues identified during national consultations on sustainable freight for pilot countries, 10 guiding principles for sustainable freight transport in Asia and the Pacific have been developed to consolidate priority actions on sustainable freight as related to the realization of the Sustainable Development Goals
The guiding principles are primarily addressed at those developing policies on freight transport in ESCAP member States and are aimed at: (a) deepening the linkages between policies and strategies on freight transport and the realization of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development by consolidating priority actions on sustainable freight transport; (b) ramping up funding, technical assistance and capacity-building on sustainable freight transport through partnerships and multi-stakeholder collaborations; and (c) fortifying the political affirmation for urgent measures to deepen freight sustainability in Asia and the Pacific in the decade of action and delivery for sustainable development.</p
United Nations 2023 Water Conference Mid-term Review of the Water Action Decade : key messages from the United Nations Regional Commissions
No full textThe United Nations General Assembly on 20 December 2018 adopted a resolution on the “Midterm comprehensive review of the implementation of the International Decade for Action, ‘Water for Sustainable Development’ 2018-2028” (RES/73/226). The resolution calls for a conference on the midterm comprehensive review of the implementation of the objectives of the Water Action Decade to be convened in New York from 22 to 24 March 2023. Also known as the United Nations 2023 Water Conference, the event was preceded by regional and global preparatory meetings and informed by water-related meetings convened at the regional and global levels.
The following booklet summarizes input from the five United Nations Regional Commissions and UN-Water regional discussion groups to the United Nations 2023 Water Conference. The Regional Commissions submitted their input to the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, which serves as the Secretariat for the Conference. The inputs inform the United Nations Secretary-General’s report on the midterm comprehensive review before submission to the 77th Session of the United Nations General Assembly, as well as the United Nations 2023 Water Conference.
This booklet provides a snapshot of the agreed input from the regional discussions to the global event, reflecting the diversity of views and experiences. It also showcases progress, opportunities and challenges identified in the five regions as well as cross-cutting issues of common concern.The United Nations General Assembly on 20 December 2018 adopted a resolution on the “Midterm comprehensive review of the implementation of the International Decade for Action, ‘Water for Sustainable Development’ 2018-2028” (RES/73/226). The resolution calls for a conference on the midterm comprehensive review of the implementation of the objectives of the Water Action Decade to be convened in New York from 22 to 24 March 2023. Also known as the United Nations 2023 Water Conference, the event was preceded by regional and global preparatory meetings and informed by water-related meetings convened at the regional and global levels.
The following booklet summarizes input from the five United Nations Regional Commissions and UN-Water regional discussion groups to the United Nations 2023 Water Conference. The Regional Commissions submitted their input to the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, which serves as the Secretariat for the Conference. The inputs inform the United Nations Secretary-General’s report on the midterm comprehensive review before submission to the 77th Session of the United Nations General Assembly, as well as the United Nations 2023 Water Conference.
This booklet provides a snapshot of the agreed input from the regional discussions to the global event, reflecting the diversity of views and experiences. It also showcases progress, opportunities and challenges identified in the five regions as well as cross-cutting issues of common concern
Green and sustainable financial market analysis : financing Cambodia's future
Get PDFIn partnership with the National Bank of Cambodia (NBC), this study aims to build an understanding of the landscape concerning green and sustainable financial markets in Cambodia. The growing global momentum to better align finance with the Sustainable Development Goals has gained traction in Cambodia, which has started to develop pathways and policy signals to enable the financial sector to contribute more systematically to the transition to a more resilient and sustainable economy, consistent with the SDGs. This paper will contribute to a comprehensive understanding of the policy and financing options to support Cambodia's commitments toward this transition.</p
The ethics of AI
Get PDFThe Briefing Note Series aims to provide at-a-glance information of key ICTD issues for policymakers and to facilitate their understanding of the potential of ICT when formulating national development policies and programmes. This Briefing Note focuses on policy considerations drawn from "The Ethics of AI" Academy module.KEY TOPICS
Trustworthy AI: Ethical groundwork for AI
Information Society and AI: Issues of AI in the networked society that complicates ethical concernsIntelligent Information Soci- ety and Ethics: Technical and social aspects of AI that should be consid- ered in the ethical framewor
Dual Role of Government Responsibilities for promot- ing the creation and broad dissemination of technol- ogies that serve the needs and interests of humanity.</p
Asia-Pacific trade and investment trends brief 2022/2023 : Georgia
No full textThis brief covers recent trends and developments in trade and investment. It has been produced as an accompaniment to the Asia-Pacific Trade and Investment Trends 2022/2023
Assessment of the Committee on Macroeconomic Policy, Poverty Reduction and Financing for Development, Fourth session, 1-3 November 2023, Bangkok and online
No full textThe fourth session of the Committee marked an improvement from the third session in 2021, particularly in its effectiveness and efficiency. The session achieved its intended objectives. The participants were highly satisfied with the service provided before and during the session, in terms of logistical arrangements, timeliness and clear communications
Air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions from the agricultural sector in South and Southeast Asia
Get PDFThis Research Paper examines why agricultural biomass burning is a crucial issue for South and Southeast Asia, and how the emissions from such burning impact climate change, health, environment, and economies, particularly in Least Developed Countries (LDCs). The Paper explores some of the fundamental reasons air quality issues persist and offers solutions, including leveraging regional cooperation, advanced monitoring techniques, and sustainable agricultural mechanization.</p
Digital and sustainable trade facilitation in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) 2023
No full textBased on the United Nations Global Survey on Digital and Sustainable Trade FacilitationThis report was Jointly prepared by ESCAP and the ASEAN Secretariat.
The report unveils the findings of the 2023 United Nations Global Survey on Digital and Sustainable Trade Facilitation, focusing on the progress made in trade facilitation across the 10 ASEAN countries.
Based on an initial set of 31 general trade facilitation measures, the survey uncovers that ASEAN achieved an impressive subregional implementation rate of 81% (compared with 79% in 2021), which significantly surpassed the Asia-Pacific region’s average implementation rate of 67%. The report highlights that significant trade cost reductions could be achieved through the implementation of paperless and cross-border paperless trade measures, surpassing the impact of conventional trade facilitation measures. Full implementation of binding and non-binding measures outlined in the WTO TFA could lead to a reduction in trade costs to just over 3%. On the other hand, the adoption of digital trade facilitation measures, facilitating seamless electronic exchange of trade data and documents across borders, has the potential to significantly reduce trade costs by more than 9% for ASEAN in a full implementation scenario. Building upon existing initiatives and fostering collaboration among ASEAN Member States, the Framework Agreement on Facilitation of Cross-Border Paperless Trade in Asia and the Pacific offers further opportunities for ASEAN countries to promotetheir own initiatives and solutions as well as support the further advancement of the ASEAN Single Window and ensuring interoperability with other paperless trade systems..
For other reports and the results of the UN Global Survey on Digital and Sustainable Trade Facilitation 2023, please visit http://wwww.untfsurvey.orgThe financial support from the Republic of Korea under the project “Capacity Building on Trade Facilitation and the Asia-Pacific Trade Agreement (APTA) Promotion to Strengthen Intra-regional Cooperation (Phase IV)
ReCAMA regional sub-directory of conservation agriculture and straw management machinery and equipment manufacturers
Get PDFThe Regional Council of Agricultural Machinery Associations (ReCAMA) was established by
the Centre for Sustainable Agricultural Mechanization (CSAM) of the United Nations
Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) in 2014. ReCAMA aims
to promote sustainable agricultural mechanization in Asia and the Pacific through
strengthening the capacity of national agricultural machinery associations, facilitating the
exchange of knowledge and information, and enhancing collaboration and closer business
connections among national associations and their members. ReCAMA is an important
initiative for scaling-up the availability, adoption and sustainable use of agricultural machinery
at the regional level through a demand-driven model closely involving the private sector.
To facilitate information sharing and regional trade among the members, a ReCAMA Regional
Directory of Agricultural Machinery Manufacturers and Distributors was compiled and
published in June 2021. Due to the positive feedback received for the 2021 Regional Directory,
as well as the urgency in addressing the issue of straw burning and improving agricultural
ecosystems, this ReCAMA Regional Sub-Directory of Conservation Agriculture and Straw
Management Machinery and Equipment Manufacturers was prepared following the decision
of the ReCAMA Member Meeting in 2022.
This Regional Sub-directory is a compilation of information collected by the Agricultural
Machinery Manufacturer Associations of Bangladesh (AMMAB); the China Agricultural
Machinery Distribution Association (CAMDA); the India Agricultural Machinery
Manufactures' Association (AMMA); and the Turkish Association of Agricultural Machinery
& Equipment Manufacturers. Table of Contents
Conservation Agriculture and Straw Management Machinery and Equipment
Manufacturers in Bangladesh...........................................................................................4
Conservation Agriculture and Straw Management Machinery and Equipment
Manufacturers in China....................................................................................................5
Conservation Agriculture and Straw Management Machinery and Equipment
Manufacturers in India ...................................................................................................17
Conservation Agriculture and Straw Management Machinery and Equipment
Manufacturers in Türkiye...............................................................................................3
Valuing and investing in unpaid care and domestic work - country case study : Indonesia
No full textThis case study on Indonesia strengthens ESCAP's technical and advisory support to member States, aligning closely with ASEAN's commitment to prioritize care in public policy. Building on the success of ESCAP's regional reports on COVID-19 and the unpaid care economy in Asia and the Pacific and Addressing Care Work in ASEAN, launched at the 4th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting in October 2021, this study highlights the importance of the collaborative ASEAN Comprehensive Framework on Care Economy. This framework, developed in partnership with ASEAN countries and various regional and international bodies, including ESCAP, takes a comprehensive approach to care, encompassing direct and relational care work, both paid and unpaid. It also addresses critical areas for a resilient future: skill development, digital transformation, lifelong learning, creativity, social entrepreneurship, and smart cities. The insights gathered from this study, along with ESCAP's additional country case studies, played a crucial role in shaping the ultimate recommendations presented during the recent Regional Forum on Care Work in ASEAN Countries, which took place in Vientiane in 2023.</p